The Johnson versus Downing debate

The transfer window is nearly upon us and all football fans are getting slightly excited about the thought of seeing new players unveiled at their club in hope that they will improve their team's performance for the rest of the season.

I should be excited then? But I'm not, as I fear we could be selling players first to fund new ones come January. Reports are flying around at the moment that Adam Johnson will join Spurs early in the new year. Let's hang on to our best players please Mr Southgate.

The England U21 starlet has tasted first team football this season with Championship toppers Watford and came back from his lone spell full of confidence after scoring 5 goals in 10 appearances for the Hornets. So now that he's back, managers in the Premiership have been monitoring his progress at his home club and noticed he is not getting first team football.

So at the moment Southgate has a problem. How does he keep the promising youngster happy?

Downing seems to have cemented that left wing position and has been a consistent performer for the past 4 seasons and it will be a hard choice to select Jonson ahead of Boro favourite, Downing.

The transfer gossip will begin shortly and it is anyone's guess as to which one will be sold to solve the problem. I keep saying it's a problem for Southgate but really it is a good thing to have 2 excellent young left-footed players. The problem lies with both Downing and Johnson. Which one sees his future as the club's left winger.

I will stick my neck out and suggest cashing in on Downing at this present moment. Johnson is only 20-years-old and will have lots more to offer the team when he gets stronger. But don't get me wrong,  Downing is a class player and I would love to see him playing for Boro and England in every game but at the moment he will only achieve playing for England if he goes and plays for a top club who play in Europe season after season. He does have the potential to be world class, but not if he plays for Boro.

A positive could come out of this though as the money that comes in for Downing or Johnson can be used in other areas to strengthen the squad.

The Manager has a big decision to make once the offers come flying in for these two. I'm hoping though, like all Boro fans, that he decides to ban Johnson from using his left foot to kick a ball and get him to improve his right foot so we can play him on the right wing for the rest of his career. Problem solved!

Up The Boro

Stuart Young

www.comeonboro.com 

 

Comments

[Hugo P]

Andy W, while Paul criticises people for over-hyping English players you are clearly guilty of over-hyping foreign players in singling-out Joachim (I presume you mean Joaquin) as a top winger and he can't even hold a candle to Ronaldo at the moment. Joaquin has been an okay performer for Valencia, a side currently seventh in La Liga, has failed to justify his £16million price tag paid two seasons ago and has never performed for Spain scoring 4 in 44 games. Downing is never even going to be a regular International class player, but since England have failed to qualify for the Euros people have suddenly become very deluded about the quality of other European national teams and players in comparison to ours.

[MikeBrown]

The thing with Downing is, he is as good at delivering a ball as Beckham ever was from open play, he needs to improve from dead ball situations however. The only reason why the best left sided midfielder in the country isn't playing for his country ahead of the over-rated trick pony from Chelsea is the ridiculous perceptions that are made of him by armchair pundits who never watch him on a consistent basis. His cause is also not helped by the bloated expectations of the most pessimistic fans in the country. If Downing was a cockney, he'd be part of the elite.

[PaulS]

"Gary O'Neill is one of the best English right wingers there is"

Wrong - Gary O'Neill isn't a winger he's a right sided midfielder although I think ultimately he'd be better in the centre where he can have even more impact on a game.

For me I'd keep them both - although both are left footed they can both also play on the right and also keep switching.

If we had to sell one I'd sell Downing because although he's an excellent crosser of the ball, Johnson has the edge in terms of finishing and beating his opponent.

[Piggy]

Adam Johnson shows great potential, but it is too early to say if he will be better than Downing. I'd send him back to Watford for the rest of the season and let him continue to develop.

Downing is the best English left winger at the moment. Englands better results under McClaren came early on when Joe Cole was injured and McClaren could pick Downing without the press being on his back. Downing should be the starting choice for England, his end product is far superior to those flashier players offered as alternatives.

[norman cater]

I am a Boro fan and i say we should sell him, the reason is he is angling to leave and has been for a long time. Stuart is not out of the top drawer.

[Paul]

Downing is 23, older than Ronaldo, Cesc, Babel, Mikel and just a couple of months younger than Torres. He will never be "world-class". People need to stop this ridiculous hyping of English players. He is a moderate player of average talent without the pace or skill to ever be anywhere near "world-class".

[Will]

"I'm hoping though, like all Boro fans, that he decides to ban Johnson from using his left foot to kick a ball and get him to improve his right foot so we can play him on the right wing for the rest of his career. Problem solved!"

Your mental. Gary O'Neill is one of the best English right wingers there is. Why make somebody else play out of position to replace him. And, as for calling Downing a "class player", I beg to differ. Ever since Downing's first season with Boro he has been so predictable to the opposition defence, every team in the premiership has him figured out now, get rid of him.

[Ed]

Downing was world class in the eyes of one man, McClaren, for whom 'world class' evidently meant 'pretty good compared to the average CONCACAF player'.

[Mark]

If Mr Southgate is going to sell one of them, I would rather he sells Downing. We would probably get more money for him, being a current England player. Johnson is a better player and has more heart for the fight, which Boro are in at the moment. I know wingers are not usually known for their tackling abilities but Downing could make a nuisance of himself from time to time.

[Andy W]

I think this idea of players having the 'potential' to improve ten-fold (which is what Downing would have to do to become 'world class') is a widely held misconception by English football fans. The vast majority of great players prove that they are something special by the age of 23 or 24. Downing is obviously a decent player, but let's not get carried away. Ashley Young looks a hotter prospect for England, and even he isn't really looking like developing into a world-beater. The best wingers all seem to come from Spain and Portugal at the moment. No winger in England approaches the levels of players like Ronaldo and Joachim.

[Stuart]

As a Watford fan who has watched Johnson play this season in a few matches i would say keep both of them and loan Johno back to us till the end of the season, we'll keep him happy with first team games! ;o)

[Goofle]

Both rubbish. Downing has nowhere near the potential to be World Class. What a ridiculous statement.